Driven rolling assembly with adjustable rolling gap

ABSTRACT

A pair of rolling-mill rolls are mounted on respective shafts each journaled in an eccentric sleeve in turn journaled in a housing. The sleeves are rotatable about sleeve axes which are parallel to but offset from the axes of the rolls so that rotation of these sleeves changes the rolling gap width. Each shaft carries, on its end opposite the roll, a pinion received in a ring gear journaled in the housing for rotation about a fixed axis coinciding with the axis of the respective sleeve. The gear connection to the shaft, consisting of inner gear and orbiting gear, is cantilevered to enable one to have a fixed axis while the other orbits. Each ring gear is carried on a shaft which in turn carries a gear wheel meshing with the gear wheel of the other ring-gear shaft. One ring-gear shaft is rotated to thereby drive the rolls, whose pinions orbit within the ring gears on rotation of the sleeves. A knob rotationally coupled to a worm is openable to rotate intermeshing gears formed on the sleeves through a step-down self-blocking gear train. A belleville washer frictionally engages the knob to prevent the rolls from going out of adjustment.

UnitedStates Patent 91 Artz .4 al.

DRIVEN ROLLING ASSEMBLY WITH ADJUSTABLE ROLLING GAP Filed:

Assignee:

Inventors: Gerd Artz, Ratingen; Alfred Schumacher, Essen; Rene Marzinkewitsch, Mulheim/Ruhr; Horst-Dieter I-Iirschfelder, 'Langenfeld; Kalus Vortkamp, Neuss, all of Germany Fried. Krupp Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung, Essen, Germany Jan. 13, 1972 Appl. No.: 217,452

1111 3,776,014 [4 1 Dec. 4, 1973 Primary Examiner-Milton S. Mehr Attorney-Karl F. Ross [57] ABSTRACT A pair of rolling-mill rolls. are mounted on respective shafts each joumaled in an eccentric sleeve in turn joumaled in a housing. The sleeves are rotatable about sleeve axes which are parallel to but offset from the axes of the rolls so that rotation of these sleeves changes the rolling gap width. Each shaft carries, on its end opposite the roll, a pinion received in a ring gear joumaled in the housing for rotation about a fixed axis coinciding with the axis of the respective sleeve. The gear connection to the shaft, consisting of inner gear and orbiting gear, is cantilevered to enable one to have a fixed axis while the other orbits. Each ring gear is carried on a shaft which in turn carries a gear wheel meshing with the gear wheel of the other ring-gear shaft. One ring-gear shaft is rotated to thereby drive the rolls, whose pinions orbit within the ring gears on rotation of the sleeves. A knob rotation ally coupled to a worm is opena ble to rotate intermeshing gears formed on the sleeves through a stepdown self-blocking gear train. A belleville washer frictionally engages the knob to prevent the rolls from going out of adjustment.

7 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures PATENTEU U55 4 373 SHEET 2 BF 2 DRIVEN ROLLING ASSEMBLY WITH ADJUSTABLE ROLLING GAP FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a roll assembly for a rolling mill wherein the gap between the rolls can be varied. More particularly this invention relates to a rolling assembly with driven rolls whose gap can be adjusted during the rolling operation.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In a rolling installation for the productionof bands, strip, sheet, rod or wire metal stock, it is often necessary to change the gap between the two rolls for the production of products of different gauge or caliber, or to compensate for roll wear.

It has been suggested to mount the shafts carrying the rolls in eccentric sleeves, themselves journaled in the housing of the rolling assembly. These sleeves each carry a radially extending arm, while a threaded spindle passes through the ends of both arms so that rotation of the arms rotates the sleeves and thereby alters the gap between the rolls. Such an arrangement is excellent for idler rolls but, where the rolls are driven certain difficulties arise.

In one such driven-roll assembly each roll-carrying shaft carries a driven pinion meshing with a drive gear. Since the pinion will describe an are as the gap is adjusted, the drive gear is arranged on the concave side of the are so that the amount of mesh of the gear teeth changes as little as possible during adjustment. Nonetheless the extent of meshing or interfitting does change so that the range of adjustment is limited. In addition when the teeth are in a poorlymeshed condition the gears can be damaged by introducing an oversize workpiece into the gap, since the insufficiently interfitted teeth cannot transmit sufficient torque. Other sys- I tems require the drive assembly to be moved during adjustment.

Several difficulties have arisen with respect to such installation. Inexpensive and simple arrangements have only limited application since they cannot transmit substantial torque. The arrangements which can transmit great torque are expensive and complicated. In all arrangements only limited adjustment of the gao is possible within the limited rotation range of the sleeves and their adjustment arms.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The above objects are attained according to the present invention in a rolling assembly wherein each roll shaft carries a pinion meshed in a ring gear whose axis of rotation is offset from the rotation axis of the pinion by a distance at least as great as that between the sleeve axis and the roll axis, thus the ringgear axis can correis rotated its pinion merely orbits around inside the ring gear. Both of the ring gears have fixed rotation axes and are driven thereabout in opposite senses. Advantageously each ring gear is mounted on a shaft carrying a transmission gear. The motor is connected to one of the ring-gear shafts and the transmission gears mesh so that the motor operates both of the ring gears in opposite senses.

Since the axes of both ring gears are fixed in the housing the drive means is also fixed relative to the support or housing of the assembly. At. the same time both roll shafts can be orbited through 360 about their respective sleeve axes so'that a considerable range of adjustment is possible. Each internally toothed ring gear and orbiting pinion, one of which is connected to the drive shaft whose location is fixed in the housing while the other is connected to the shiftable-axis sleeve,

forms a cantilevered gear arrangement whereby the. gears are mounted at oppositely-projecting ends of respective shafts journaled inwardly of these ends to cantilever the latter. l

According to another feature of the present invention each eccentric sleeve is formed with a ring of external teeth that engage in the teeth of the adjacent sleeve. A gear meshing with one of the sleeves thereby counterrotates both sleeves so that if they start, for instance, at the closest spacing they will move up and down and from side to side at the same rate, away from the rolling axis or plane. At the same time both roll axes will remain in line, on the same plane orthogonally traversing the rolling plane.

The cantilever construction whereby each gear of each of the internal-gear transmissions is cantilever journaled on oppositely projecting shaft ends, completely eliminates the need to shift the drive motor or v DESCRIPTION or THE DRAWING The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the description, reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. I is a longitudinal vertical section through the apparatus according to the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is a transverse vertical section through the apparatus of FIG. 1.

SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION As seen in the drawing a mill for rolling wire, band or bar stock has a housing or roll stand 1 in which is journaled a pair of eccentric sleeves 2 having respective rotation axes 15 one directly above the other. Each sleeve 2 is formed of two sections joined together along plane 35 perpendicular to the axis 15 and defining an spond to that of the respective sleeve so that as a sleeve axial stepped bore 26 receiving the tapered shaftt of a roll 3. Each shaft 4 is taper-bore mounted and supported adjacent its end on bronze bearings 5 and 6and between these bearings by an axial roller bearing 7. The

two-section construction of each sleeve 2 makes instal-- lation of the bearing 7 an easy job. The shafts 4 have respective rotation axes 16 parallel to the axes 1 5, and

the rolls 3 define a rolling gap G.

FIG. 2 shows a secondary support housing 8 which is mounted laterally on the housing 1 and which carries via two roller bearings 31 and 32 a horizontal shaft 19 formed with a worm 21 and having and indicia-carrying adjustment knob 20. This worm 21 meshes with a vertical large-diameter gear wheel 22 carried on a vertical shaft 33 rotationally coupled to a small-diameter gear wheel 23 meshing with a gear wheel 24 which itself meshes with teeth 17 formed circumferentially on the upper sleeve 2. The lower sleeve 2 is also formed with teeth 17 meshing with the teeth 17 of the upper wheel so that rotation of the knob 20 will counterrotate the two sleeves 2 to vary the vertical height of gap G. The knob 20 is biased outwardly by a belleville washer 25, seated against the housing to prevent the sleeves 2 from going out of adjustment. Because of the large mechanical advantage obtained through gear chain 21-24, adjustment of the distance between axes 16, which is determinative of the gap spacing can be carried out with ease. The spring 25 applies an axial force to shaft 19 which takes up play in the worm worm-gear set 21, 22 and renders the latter selfblocking. Even under high rolling pressure shaft 19 cannot be autorotated.

FIG. 1 shows how, mounted on each shaft 4 at its end turned away from the roll 3, is a pinion 8 received within a ring gear 9 which is rotatable about the respective sleeve axis 16. It is important that the offset between the ring-gear rotation axis and the roll axis be the same as that between the sleeve axis and the roll axis. The upper ring gear 9 is carried on a shaft 34 which is taper-bore mounted in the housing 1 in two radial-force bronze bushings 28 and 29, with roller bearings 30 being provided therebetween. The lower ring gear 9 is carried on a shaft 12 similarly received in bearings 23-30 and carrying on its end turned away from the gear 9 a bevel gear 13. Another bevel gear 14 operated by a motor 27 meshes with the gear 13 to rotate the shaft 12. The two shafts 34 and 12 carry respective like-diameter transmission gears and 11, respectively, which mesh-and are of the same effective diameter as the gears 17 formed on the sleeves 2. In this manner as the motor 27 is operated the shafts 12 and 34 are driven in opposite rotational senses, thereby driving the gears 9 in opposite directions to rotate the rolls 3 in opposite directions.

It should be clear that when the sleeves 2 are counterrotated to alter the gap size the pinions 8 will merely orbit around inside the ring gears 9, remaining in mesh therewith. Thus no displacement of the drive 13, 14, 27 is necessary. At the same time the drive force is transmitted to the rolls 3 with a minimum of loss due to the simplicity of the connecting gear chains. The only torque applied to the sleeves 2 will be that due to losses in the bearings 5-7, which torque can be easily overcome by the spring 25. For servicing, either of the rolls with its attendant sleeve can be pulled from the housing 1 without harming the drive.

Each shaft 4 has an end projecting (to the right in FIG. 1) beyond the respective bearing 6 toward the drive means and thus cantilevered on the housing. Sim ilarly, the shafts l2 and 34 have free cantilevered ends projecting (to the left in FIG. 1) beyond the bearings 28 toward the rolls 2. Each of the cantilever ends carries a respective gear 8 or 9 of the internal-gear transmissions 8, 9 so that these gears are likewise cantilevered.

Although the two rolls 3 are here shown to be located one directly above the other, it is also possible to arrange them about vertical or inclined rolling planes since their positioning will in no way affect their performance.

We claim:

1. A rolling assembly comprising:

a support;

a pair of eccentric sleeves journaled in said support and rotatable therein about respective parallel fixed sleeve axes lying in a common vertical plane;

respective adjustable rolls each having a roll shaft received in a respective one of said sleeves and rotatable therein about a respective roll axis offset from the respective fixed sleeve axis, said rolls being parallel and juxtaposed;

means for rotating each of said said sleeves about the a respective cantilevered externally toothed roll gear operatively connected to the respective shafts be yond the respective sleeves and rotatable about said roll axes, each roll being mounted on one end of the respective roll shaft while the respective roll gear is mounted upon the other end of the respective roll shaft; 7

a respective I internally toothed cantilevered drive gear meshing with each of said roll gears and rotatable about the respective fixed sleeve axis, each of said drive gears having a drive shaft journaled in said support and carrying the drive gear at an end of the drive shaft and bearing means engaging the other end of each drive shaft; and

means for rotating said drive gears and thereby rotating said rolls, the last-mentioned means including substantially identical meshing gears carried by said drive shafts intermediate the ends thereof, and means operatively connected with one of said drive shafts for rotating same.

2. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein said means for rotating said sleeve includes teeth formed on each of said sleeves, the teeth of both sleeves meshing whereby, on rotation of one of said sleeves, the other sleeve is rotated.

3. The apparatus defined in claim 2 wherein said means for rotating said sleeve includes a displaceable adjustment member and a gear train between said member and the teeth on said first sleeve.

4. The apparatus defined in claim 3 wherein said means'for rotating said sleeve includes means frictionally engaging said member for resisting displacement thereof.

5. The apparatus defined in claim 4 wherein said means engaging said member is a belleville washer, said member being a knob.

6. The apparatus defined in claim 2, further comprising a pair of journals carrying each of said shafts, and an axial-force bearing arranged on said shaft between said journals.

7. The apparatus defined in claim 6 wherein each sleeve is formed of a pair of sections joined together along a plane extending perpendicular to the respective sleeve axis and lying adjacent said axial bearing.

* IIK I I 

1. A rolling assembly comprising: a support; a pair of eccenTric sleeves journaled in said support and rotatable therein about respective parallel fixed sleeve axes lying in a common vertical plane; respective adjustable rolls each having a roll shaft received in a respective one of said sleeves and rotatable therein about a respective roll axis offset from the respective fixed sleeve axis, said rolls being parallel and juxtaposed; means for rotating each of said said sleeves about the respective fixed sleeve axis and thereby displacing the respective roll axis angularly about its fixed sleeve axis; a respective cantilevered externally toothed roll gear operatively connected to the respective shafts beyond the respective sleeves and rotatable about said roll axes, each roll being mounted on one end of the respective roll shaft while the respective roll gear is mounted upon the other end of the respective roll shaft; a respective internally toothed cantilevered drive gear meshing with each of said roll gears and rotatable about the respective fixed sleeve axis, each of said drive gears having a drive shaft journaled in said support and carrying the drive gear at an end of the drive shaft and bearing means engaging the other end of each drive shaft; and means for rotating said drive gears and thereby rotating said rolls, the last-mentioned means including substantially identical meshing gears carried by said drive shafts intermediate the ends thereof, and means operatively connected with one of said drive shafts for rotating same.
 2. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein said means for rotating said sleeve includes teeth formed on each of said sleeves, the teeth of both sleeves meshing whereby, on rotation of one of said sleeves, the other sleeve is rotated.
 3. The apparatus defined in claim 2 wherein said means for rotating said sleeve includes a displaceable adjustment member and a gear train between said member and the teeth on said first sleeve.
 4. The apparatus defined in claim 3 wherein said means for rotating said sleeve includes means frictionally engaging said member for resisting displacement thereof.
 5. The apparatus defined in claim 4 wherein said means engaging said member is a belleville washer, said member being a knob.
 6. The apparatus defined in claim 2, further comprising a pair of journals carrying each of said shafts, and an axial-force bearing arranged on said shaft between said journals.
 7. The apparatus defined in claim 6 wherein each sleeve is formed of a pair of sections joined together along a plane extending perpendicular to the respective sleeve axis and lying adjacent said axial bearing. 